Wildlife

Yellowstone National Park has the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states.

What species of Wildlife can I see in the park?

Below is just a sampling of the animals that you can encounter on your visit to Yellowstone National Park. Habitat preferences and seasonal cycles of movement determine where a particular animal may be at a particular time. Early morning and evening hours are when animals tend to be feeding and thus are more easily seen. However, remember that the numbers and variety of Yellowstone animals you see are largely a matter of luck and coincidence.

There are currently 13 wolf packs making Yellowstone National Park their home. Wolves are some of the most intelligent mammals on the planet. Treat them with the utmost respect.

Interesting Facts

The following are the National Park Service Statistics for the wildlife of Yellowstone:

61 different mammals

Along with black bears, over 500 grizzlies live in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Gray wolves were restored in 1995; more than 370 live in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Wolverine and Lynx live in the park and are some of the rarest mammals to spot.

Seven native species of hooved animals—elk, mule deer, bison, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and white-tailed deer—live in Yellowstone National Park, here, including one of the largest herds of elk in the United States.

Non-native mountain goats have colonized the northwestern and northeastern portions of the park.